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Tortoiseshell

Vintage tortoiseshell and bakelite eyeglass frames started appearing sometime in the early 1900's. The European made frames were generally made of real tortoiseshell while the American made frames were made of Bakelite and other types of plastic. The color usually was tortoise, black or a deep dark brown. They are loosely based on the Windsor style but with a heavier look due to their thicker frames. Made popular by the actor Harold Lloyd who wore them in his famous 1917 film Over the fence and in every one of his film's since. Some give him credit as being the first person to make it fashionable to wear eyeglasses. For some reason we don't see many of this style around today.